Fluters… Need your help…
The B roll… I’m having a bit of trouble with the tap. What part of your finger makes the strike?
I’ve done a search in the archive and haven’t found anything on the subject…
Dave… I shoulda asked you to demonstrate this for me the other night but … uh… forgot…
Thanks in advance,
Ah, yes, the bane of right-handed flute players existence…the left-handed ornaments.
Same part of the finger that’s used for the other notes and taps.
But if B is your only trouble (hint…Matt Molloy sometimes uses two fingers to tap the B, not just one), and not the A, then you’re doing fine.
You were sounding like you’re coming along fine the other night Blayne. Good work. Keep it up!
you mean tapping the B hole with the index and middle finger?? goodness i just tried it and it’s hard!!
Ok… Dave… I think you understood my question right but maybe I should rephrase…
If I want to do a roll on B. I would cut using my first finger (that is used to seal the B note) then tap using my second finger - thus striking the note A rapidly.
My problem with the strike is that because of how my middle finger is situated, it feels better to just keep my finger sort of strait - the tap then is felt on the second pad (piper’s pad) but in my innitial attemps it doesn’t sound as well defined as my other taps…
Do I hear somebody playing “Taps”?
Thanks for the help and encouragement Dave.
Peace,
I knew what you meant. First pad is best, but failing that, any will work as long as it’s firm and quick. It likely doesn’t sound so good right now because your finger is dwelling onto the tone hole too long. So it’s more of a blurb than a blip sound That takes practice. the LH2&3 fingers typically are the worst for ornaments on flute players whow are right-handed writers (and hold the flute to their right).
That’s why players who hold the flute "left-handed) but are right-handed people do well with the upper ornaments. Larry Nugent and Deidra Havlin come to mind.
Left-handed people who hold the flute to their right side (most common way to hold it) are awesome players. Those who come to mind: Matt Molloy, Seamus Tansey and Seamus Egan. Their left hand is strongest and works best.
Now…here’s one for you, if you’ve not noticed…Seamus Egan plays his flutes right handed (left hand on top), but plays the low whistle the other way, with right hand on top. That would give me a brain cramp of huge degree!
I believe he does it to facilitate the E hole stretch on the bottom.
Now…here’s one for you, if you’ve not
noticed…Seamus Egan plays his flutes > right handed (left hand on top), but plays > the low whistle the other way, with right > hand on top. That would give me a brain
cramp of huge degree!
I believe he does it to facilitate the E
hole stretch on the bottom.
Actually, I seem to remember him saying (years ago when I was in his flute class at Augusta, or maybe I read it somewhere) that when he was a kid learning whistle he didn’t know any better so he put the wrong hand on top. He didn’t switch after he found out he was doing it wrong!
On flute, he always did it the right way from the beginning. I agree with David, though - if I tried this I would be very confused. As a byproduct, though, it probably does help him with the stretch on the low whistle (as if he needed any help…)
John Kerr
Well… I’ve been working on my B Rolls… I’ve got my A down…
For the B Roll What I found is that it works better if I play with my second finger (middle - A) at more of an arc rather than flat like my third finger (Ring - G).
I’ve just seen pictures of people playing with the first two joints of the second finger as flat as can be. When I try to tap like this it is very akward… But the other day Dave, I noticed that you don’t play with your second finger flat but with more of an arc like I’m describing. So the tap still uses the pad of the finger closest to the tip - at least for me.
Just wanted to let you know my discovery just in case I’m going in the wrong direction…
You mentioned before about how my taps probably were at the point where they just weren’t quick yet and so I was probably hearing the actually note of the tap… That part isn’t the problem… Its the definition…the precise separation of notes… Instead of getting a really sharp and clean TAP! CUT! TAP! I was getting more of a Thuuu… CUT! Thuuu…
This arc will take some getting used to as I play very flat on the whistle… But hey, it gave me something else to do today!
Thanks again,
some flute players, blayne, experience the same as you (notably, Larry Nugent) and they accommodate this by extending the thumb up the body of the flute and play all three of their fingers flat to the flute (and perpendicular).
It’s not great posture, but who’s to argue witht he likes of Nugent and others like him on whether it works?
you’re right…my LH2 is slightly arc-ed and my LH3 is almost flat
you want to see a good left hand posture? look at the photo of Matt Molloy on his “Black Album” cover…you’ll see exactly how I think that left hand should be placed on the flute.
Glad your making good progress, Blayne! It sure sounded like it.
Now don’t fall into the pit of over-ornamenting a tune, which is an easy thing for a newcomer to do. It doesn’t impress anyone and muddies up your phrasing.
Are there any sites where I can find sound files of people playing some examples of these rolls and other ornaments? Thanks.